Chapter 5: The Connection Crisis
The threshold was shaking with increasing intensity. After the disturbing dialogue about the chain of bubbles, Sans and Reifland were faced with a new reality: the instability of one of the main bubbles threatened to collapse its integrity.
"The signal is unmistakable," Reifland said in a deep voice as he watched a bubble that was pulsating erratically, its contours distorted by chaotic vibrations. "That bubble, one of the most influential in the threshold, is being affected by external interference."
Sans, momentarily putting aside his usual irony, frowned and asked:
"External interference? What kind of force is behind this?"
Reifland spread his wings, letting the concentrated energy of the threshold illuminate his scales, and explained in a solemn tone:
"Although beings of the Fourth Dimension have the ability to modify and adjust their own bubbles without causing instability in others, the alteration we are witnessing in this bubble is not the result of a natural intervention. It is a deliberate manipulation that is disturbing its internal structure. By affecting one of the critical nodes, the stability of that particular creation is put at risk, although it does not necessarily trigger a chain reaction in the others."
The atmosphere was filled with tension. Sans watched as the affected bubble began to fade in swirls of energy and red light, showing clear signs of wear and vulnerability.
"It is as if the heart of this bubble is being torn from its destiny," Reifland murmured. If we do not act immediately to contain and repair this disturbance, the damage will be concentrated in this critical node, compromising its function and endangering the integrity of everything that depends on it.
Sans stepped forward, placing a hand cautiously on the bubble's vibrating surface. Upon contact, a wave of chaotic energy coursed through his being, as if every particle of his existence was rearranging itself under the impact of the disorder.
"This is not a passing glitch," he said in a low, serious voice. "It is an intentional manipulation. We must discover who or what is behind this intrusion and counteract it before the damage becomes irreversible."
Reifland nodded, his gaze intense, his eyes reflecting the gravity of the moment.
"Our next step is to thoroughly analyze the source of this instability. We must intervene in this bubble to restore its balance and, if possible, trace the origin of this manipulation. Only then can we prevent this disturbance from consolidating into a point of failure that puts the balance of the threshold at risk."
As chaos gathered at the core of the bubble, Sans immersed himself in a process of introspection and analysis, using his abilities to perceive the nuances of energy. With each pulsation of the bubble, the message became clearer: there was a hidden force deliberately rewriting the fate of this creation.
With renewed determination, Sans turned to Reifland and said,
"We cannot allow them to tamper with the natural course of such a crucial bubble. We must act, even if it means facing the unknown."
The dragon, in a firm voice, replied,
"That is right, Sans. The future of this reality depends on our ability to restore the integrity of this bubble. This is not an instability generated by the inspiration of beings from the Fourth Dimension, but a deliberate aggression that we must counter at all costs."
The threshold rumbled with the tension of a thousand universes in precarious balance. Sans and Reifland prepared to enter the crisis, aware that the fate of this bubble—and the integrity of their own node in the vast web of realities—hung on their imminent intervention.
The threshold was filled with palpable tensions, and erratic energy particles entered into a disorganized dance within the affected bubble. Reifland and Sans stood motionless, watching the distortion that threatened to upset the delicate balance of the realities. The dragon knew he had to act quickly, but before any move, he needed to understand what had altered the course of this particular bubble.
With an expression of absolute concentration, Reifland prepared to use his powers. The dragon spread his wings with a grace that seemed to stop the flow of time itself. His eyes shone with a piercing light, subtly darkening as if he were diving into a deeper vision. Sans, silently observing everything, felt the pressure in the air intensify. He could see how the lines of reality within the bubble fluctuated, as if an invisible force was pulling them in different directions.
Reifland closed his eyes, absorbing all the vibrations of the environment and began to see through the very structure of the bubble.
-I can see... - the dragon whispered, and Sans watched as the invisible floor of the threshold vibrated with each word that came out of his mouth. -I can see the source of the disturbance.
A series of fragmented images flashed before the dragon's eyes: distorted moments, blurred shadows, the very essence of the bubble trying to resist the external force crushing it. Suddenly, a bright scene emerged among the others, sharp and clear. Sans saw a figure, human but distorted, struggling to stay lit against a tide of oppressive darkness.
-This... what is this?-Sans asked, trying to understand what he was seeing.
Reifland, without looking away, spoke in a somber voice:
-This is the beginning of the end, Sans. What I just saw is not just a glitch, it is murder. The being that was assigned the role of protagonist in this bubble was... eliminated.
Sans blinked, incredulous at the magnitude of Reifland's words.
-How?-he asked, his tone fluctuating between amazement and bewilderment-. How could they kill the protagonist? Does he really have that much influence on the... bubble?
Reifland let out a deep sigh. He looked as if he carried a weight far greater than his own existence. The dragon spoke in a deep, melancholic voice, letting the truth slowly slip in:
-The fate of a bubble is not only tied to the role of its inhabitants; every part of the lifestream of every story is tied to decisions, even from birth itself. The protagonist, the one rooted in fate itself, is the anchor of his bubble. If this being is destroyed at its key moment-if his existence is taken away when he is still a newborn, the hole left in the timeline creates a fracture... and that fracture reverberates throughout the entire bubble.
Sans watched as the scenes in the bubble continued to alter. The image of the protagonist receiving his end at the hands of an unknown force marked the beginning of instability. The starting point of the pre-established destiny had been truncated, and that was what altered the structure of an entire reality.
-Did someone kill the protagonist of this bubble, Reifland? -Sans asked, now seriously, knowing that the dragon had seen something fundamental.
-Yes -the dragon answered, his tone wet with the sadness that only eons of existence could bring-. Someone, from the shadows, finished him off. But what's strange about this situation isn't just the act itself. It's the fact that this murder occurred while the protagonist was still young, almost a newborn. The fate of this bubble was completely rooted in his survival. His death was such a grave act... that seeing it changed the entire path of this creation.
Sans processed the image of a being so essential to the bubble being taken away so quickly and silently. The bubble itself was trying to resist, struggling to maintain its course, but it was too late to fix it from within.
Reifland leaned forward slightly, his vast body casting a deeper shadow, as if suddenly the weight of realities began to fall upon him.
-The backlash is inevitable-he muttered, as if he was talking to himself-. Once the main player of fate is altered from its inception, the structure of the entire bubble is shaken. But we were... so close to fixing it.
Suddenly, Sans felt the sudden blow of that painful truth. He knew that the game inside that bubble was being interrupted, everything that was to come would be lost if they failed to act. But just when they were ready to move forward, the bubble's energy began to explode in a visual clash.
Reifland sighed deeply, looking at Sans:
-We are providing answers, but... as soon as two beings of destruction are so strongly connected... this bubble of situation...
Amidst the growing chaos of the threshold, as the bubbles of reality trembled in their instability, an unknown presence began to manifest itself in the shadows. No one had ever seen the one who was now perceived as the hidden source of the disturbance before. Without announcing himself openly, this figure moved with determination, observing each flash of energy with an almost calculating precision.
As Reifland and Sans continued to analyze the crisis, the atmosphere became charged with an unsettling tension. A subtle, but unmistakable energy was noted at the edge of the distortion. In a decisive instant, the shadow broke free from the nebulous surroundings and materialized in front of them. No one knew his name yet; his identity was a mystery, until, in a voice full of gravity, the stranger broke the silence:
—My name is Nyxeon.
The revelation struck like a thunderclap on the threshold. Nyxeon, at last, appeared in all his enigmatic form. His human form, composed of dark mist and outlined by luminous strokes, seemed to have emerged from the very fabric of destiny, but with a different purpose. With an intense gaze full of resentment, he continued:
—I have been planning this moment for a long time. For eons, I have silently watched as each bubble is created by its own author, each one written with its own story and destined to follow an immutable path. Each creation has a unique destiny, determined by the one who conceived it. I am not the creator of all, but a spectator who has endured my own destiny imposed by a cruel and distant author.
Nyxeon paused, letting the magnitude of his words permeate the air. With a firm voice full of determination, he continued:
—Today, for the first time, I break the seal of written destiny. I will not settle for seeing how my existence, marked by tragedy, repeats itself without the possibility of redemption. I have discovered an ancient artifact, a forgotten fragment of power that allows me to infiltrate the bubbles and alter their course. This will be the first act of my rebellion, the beginning of a path that will force those individual authors to confront the fallibility of their own scripts.
Sans, with the seriousness he rarely displayed, interrupted with a joke tinged with irony:
—Well, if you're going to rewrite destinies, you could at least leave an author's note so that I don't get charged royalties on the new version of my story.
Nyxeon's slight smile became barely perceptible, but his eyes did not stop shining with a mixture of fury and melancholy. With a brusque and determined tone, he replied:
—This is not a joke, Sans. This is not a simple adjustment to the script; it is a complete break with the imposed order. My destiny, full of tragedy, was dictated by an author who believed that my suffering was necessary. But I will never accept that secondary role in my own life.
Reifland, stunned by Nyxeon's audacity, intervened, his voice filled with concern:
—Nyxeon, why do you do this? What drives you to destabilize these realities so radically?
Nyxeon looked up, and his tone became more intimate, almost as if confessing a long-suppressed pain:
—Each bubble has its own creator, its own author, and each dictates a destiny that, for many, is immutable. I was assigned to a path of suffering, without the possibility of choice, a destiny written by a being that neither understands nor feels. For a long time, I watched in silence, consumed by frustration and hopelessness, until I found this artifact, the key to alter my own narrative. Today, I begin to break those seals, to challenge those authors. I do so not out of revenge, even though my heart burned with rage, but to reclaim the freedom that was denied to me.
Nyxeon's words echoed loudly in the doorway, defying the natural order of fate. The atmosphere was filled with palpable unrest, and for the first time, preordained destiny seemed to tremble before the force of a spirit that refused to be a mere supporting character in its own story.
As tension grew, the renegade prepared to carry out his first disruptive act. The crack he had imagined in his mind began to form at the edge of the unstable bubble, promising an irreversible shift in the balance of realities.
"The future of each bubble is in the hands of its creator," Nyxeon continued, his voice resonant, "but today, I have decided that no one, not even those authors, should have the absolute power to chain a destiny. It is time for stories to be rewritten, and for the suffering imposed to be transformed into an opportunity for true freedom."
With those words, Nyxeon launched into his first act of rebellion, marking the beginning of a revolution that would threaten to tear the very fabric of Limbo and open a rift towards the Fourth Dimension. The revelation of his identity and his purpose unleashed a new era, in which destiny, until now immutable, would begin to be challenged by those willing to rewrite their own history.
The atmosphere of the threshold became even denser and more chaotic when, suddenly, Nyxeon, with a voice that echoed in the vastness of space, proclaimed:
"You know why I am here! I am here so that you do not solve anything."
The fight raged on with an intensity that shook the threshold. Without a word, Nyxeon charged into the attack, spreading his hands and letting his Dimensional Distortion rip through the air in dark swirls. With each movement, the outline of his figure faded and reshaped, causing his form to multiply into twisted shadows.
Reifland responded instantly. With a powerful flap of his wings, he generated a barrier of concentrated energy that stood like a wall of light against the onslaught of Nyxeon's dark currents. Nyxeon's chaotic energy collided with the stabilizing light, creating explosions that fragmented the air and echoed in the emptiness of the threshold.
Without stopping, Nyxeon summoned the Shadows of Limbo. From the ground, ethereal forms emerged and rushed towards Reifland like darts of darkness. The old guardian did not hesitate to counter. With each beat of his wings, he scattered the shadows, dissipating their cohesion and forcing them to disperse into sparks of dark energy.
Meanwhile, Sans nimbly glided between the explosions and trails of energy. With his gaster blaster in hand, he fired precise blasts that sparked through the air, cutting through the shadows that tried to block his path. Each shot was accompanied by the metallic rumble of the released energy, and the blasts tangled with the flashes of the Dimensional Distortion, creating chaotic flashes on the battlefield.
Nyxeon launched himself forward in a lightning-fast movement. With a maneuver that seemed to defy the laws of physics, he extended his hands and concentrated the energy into a punch.
ethereal. The force of the impact echoed like thunder, and Reifland's barrier shook under the onslaught. Light and darkness collided in a whirlwind of energy; the resulting force partially disintegrated the barrier, exposing the vulnerability at the heart of Reifland's defense.
Reifland did not back down, however. With a determination that came from the experience of a thousand battles, he channeled a surge of stabilizing energy from the core of his being. The light condensed into a concentrated beam that struck Nyxeon squarely, forcing him to momentarily retreat. The collision released a rumble so powerful that the ground shook, and fragments of energy scattered in all directions.
In the midst of the clash, Sans took advantage of the distraction. He leapt to the side, dodging the shadowy projectiles, and fired a series of blasts that sent Nyxeon zig-zagging. The precision of his shots caused small fractures in the villain's dark aura, causing flashes of light to seep into it. Each shot seemed to seek out a weak point in Nyxeon's ceaseless mutability, though he reconfigured almost instantly to plug any gap.
Nyxeon, enraged, refocused his power. His hands opened like claws, and columns of chaotic energy emerged from them, shooting out in multiple directions. These columns impacted against Reifland's barrier, generating a cascade of explosions that caused the threshold itself to tremble. The shockwaves pushed all the combatants, forcing them to relocate amid the din of combat.
The confrontation intensified: the rhythm of Sans' shots mixed with Nyxeon's forceful blows and Reifland's ironclad defense. The atmosphere filled with flashes and sparks, and each collision released an explosion that seemed to last forever in the echo of space. The Shadows of Limbo swirled and regrouped, attempting to surround Reifland, while Nyxeon continued to inject chaos into every corner of the battlefield.
As the battle intensified, the instability of the threshold became unbearable. The vibrations increased, and the very fabric of reality trembled. Amidst the din of combat, Reifland turned to Sans, his voice sharp but full of urgency:
—Sans, there is no time! Go, I will open the portal for you. Solve your problem. You must not allow the child to be killed, and please avoid making contact with the beings in the bubble; it could create another instability.
The words echoed like a command in the confusion of combat. Sans, understanding the gravity of the situation, nodded quickly. With determination, he moved towards the center of the chaos, where an opening was imminently forming. Reifland, taking advantage of the
A breach in Nyxeon's offensives, he concentrated his energy and opened a portal, a luminous fissure that promised to be the only way out.
But Nyxeon was not willing to give in. With a defiant cry, the villain launched a devastating counterattack, extending his shadows and channeling dark energy into the portal. In a moment of extreme tension, Nyxeon's opposing force violently collided with the barrier that Reifland had erected. The collision of powers generated an explosion of energy, shaking the threshold and creating flashes of chaos everywhere.
The impact was so devastating that the portal opened violently, and in a final whirlwind, Sans was dragged inside, disappearing into the uncontrolled vortex. The energy slowly dissipated, leaving behind the echo of a titanic battle, where determination, fury and chaos had clashed in a fight that would change the fate of the threshold forever.
The battle, in that instant, froze in time. Reifland and Nyxeon remained locked in their duel, as the portal dissipated and Sans' figure disappeared into the bubble. The fate of the threshold and the integrity of reality hung in the balance, leaving everyone in suspense and marking the end of this chapter.
With the echo of the explosion resonating in the void, the threshold was plunged into a tense calm, while the future of Sans and the balance of realities remained in uncertainty, waiting to be forged in the next act of this epic confrontation.